Arik Air appoints new COO and CFO

Arik Air has announced the appointment of Mr. John Roijen and Mr. Kevin Dudley, who will take up the positions of chief financial officer (CFO) and chief operating officer (COO), respectively.

Arik Air has announced the appointment of Mr. John Roijen and Mr. Kevin Dudley, who will take up the positions of chief financial officer (CFO) and chief operating officer (COO), respectively. This follows the announcement on October 19 of the appointment of Mr. Jason Holt as the airlineยนs new managing director.

Announcing the two new appointments in Lagos, the chairman of Arik Air Limited, Sir Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide, said: “Mr. Roijen and Mr. Dudley are both senior-level airline professionals and each is highly experienced in his respective field. They possess considerable international industry expertise, reinforced by strong Nigerian market knowledge and experience. I am delighted to have them both join Arik Air, supporting Mr. Jason Holt in leading the airline during its next growth phase.”

Arik Air’s managing director, Mr. Jason Holt, elaborated: “Mr. Roijen and Mr. Dudley both bring a wealth of industry knowledge gained from working in airlines and professional organizations based across a wide number of international markets. Each also brings an in-depth, practical, and current knowledge of the Nigerian aviation market, gained from the leadership roles they performed successfully at Virgin Nigeria Airways. As Arik Air celebrates its third anniversary of successful operations and prepares to integrate new aircraft into the fleet and expand further its network, I, too, am delighted to welcome both John and Kevin to our team. I look forward to their contribution in helping implement the airlineยนs expansion strategy.”

Mr. Roijen holds an MBA (finance and marketing) and is a qualified chartered accountant. With more than 20 years professional experience, he has held senior finance function responsibilities in markets spanning Africa, Europe, and the US. His previous roles have included accountant at Ernst & Young (Netherlands), interim finance director at Steel Pipe Industries (South Africa), finance and general manager at Technology Group (Botswana), finance director at Avon Rubber Plc (UK), and vice president-finance at Osborn (US). Until March 2009, Mr. Roijen was chief financial officer at Virgin Nigeria Airways, based in Lagos.

Mr. Dudley also holds an MBA and is a licensed aircraft engineer. With more than 30 years airline industry experience, his previous employers have included British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and Virgin Nigeria Airways. Previously, he performed head office and out-station roles including overseas line maintenance manager at Virgin Atlantic Airways, general manager of commercial planning at Virgin Atlantic Airways, and engineering director at Virgin Nigeria Airways. Until June 2009, Mr. Dudley was chief operating officer at Virgin Nigeria Airways, based in Lagos.

Both appointees expressed delight in taking up their positions. New chief financial officer, John Roijen, said: “As a Nigerian airline, Arik Air is already the fastest-growing African airline. It has announced expansion in domestic, regional, and international markets. I am pleased to have the opportunity at this time to strengthen further the airline’s financial processes and systems in support of its strong growth plan.”

New chief operating officer, Kevin Dudley, stated: “Since its launch three years ago in October 2006, Arik Air has already earned a well-deserved reputation for achieving operational efficiency while delivering strong customer service in a safe and secure environment for guests. I look forward to maintaining that culture, to continuously improving how the airline operates, and to building on the relationships that the airline has already established with Nigerian aviation stakeholders.”

Mr. Roijen and Mr. Dudley will report to Arik Air’s managing director, Jason Holt.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

Share to...